Author: Evgeny Zhivoglyadov. Date of publication: September 11, 2022. Category: Automotive equipment.
Despite the fact that modern cars are becoming more and more convenient to use, car owners still have to deal with everyday problems. For example, a car battery has the amazing property of discharging at the most inopportune moment. This often happens when the vehicle is parked in a garage for a long time (the problem is especially relevant in winter) or if the driver leaves the “iron horse” with the headlights on for a long time. In this case, getting into the car to open the hood and change the battery will not be so easy.
Of course, in any situation you can call a specialist who can help you open the door without any problems. However, the cost of such a service can reach up to 5,000 rubles, and sometimes it is not possible to call a customer service team at all. Fortunately, there are several ways to help solve the problem. Let's start with the simplest of them.
We use the key
It would seem that the problem can be solved using a regular key fob. But, if the battery is completely dead, then its energy will not be enough to open the door. In this case, it is logical to try to unlock the car mechanically. And here several problems may arise at once.
If it happens in winter, then, most likely, the castle larva is covered with ice inside. In this situation, it is enough to arm yourself with alcohol and a lighter (the beloved WD40 is not an assistant in this case). After this, we heat the key and insert it into the well. After performing this operation several times, you can defrost the lock and get into the car. Or you can pour a little alcohol into the larva. The hot liquid will quickly melt the ice and release the lock.
However, this method will be completely useless if the car is equipped with a modern alarm system that simply blocks the locks. In this case, the key can be inserted into the cylinder, but it cannot be turned. In such situations, you have to resort to other tricks.
Features of different car brands
The table shows options for getting into cars of different brands when the battery is dead.
| Brand | How to open doors |
| LADA | Using a mechanical key or connecting power to the turn signal, light bulb above the number |
| Hyundai | Open the hood, connect to the battery, turn signal, light bulb above the license plate |
| Ford | Open the hood, connect to the battery, turn signal, light bulb above the license plate |
| Toyota | Connect to generator or battery (through the hood) |
| Skoda | Connect to the turn signal or light bulb above the number |
| Volkswagen | Get into the cabin through the trunk or power the turn signal and light bulb above the license plate from an external source |
| KIA | Connect to the turn signal or light bulb above the number |
| BMW | Connect to generator |
| Mercedes | Connect to the turn signal or light bulb above the number |
German cars have a built-in emergency terminal, which is easy to connect to. BMW and Mercedes have a complex design of electronics and engine, so owners of such cars are recommended to contact a specialized organization.
Open the door
This method is quite dubious, since in this case there is a risk of “scaring” the alarm even more and accidentally locking the car in “hard” mode (the engine will not start). If the alarm system is not so sophisticated, then you can try using a special air bag (can be replaced with a wooden block).
While the airbag is deflated, you should try to place it in the gap between the door and the car body. After this, we begin to gradually inflate it. By moving the door a little, you can insert a wire with a loop into it and catch on the “lamb”. The door opens and the happy driver finds himself inside the vehicle.
Important! If the alarm system has blocked the engine (sometimes it perceives a non-functioning battery as an attempt to steal a car), then it will be of little use if the car owner got inside.
If this method does not help, then you can move on to more radical measures, which also look rather dubious.
How to open the trunk
If the battery is dead, and it is impossible to open the car with the key, and you need to get into the trunk, you will find yourself in a situation where, apart from drilling out the lock, there are no other options left. So you will need a good drill with a set of drills of a suitable diameter.
Having drilled a solid hole, you will only have to use the wire to hook the cable, that is, it may happen that even such an operation will not help you. In any case, the trunk lock must be replaced after such abuse, and this is the main drawback of the method.
Breaking out the glass
In a hopeless situation, some decide to take extreme measures and break the side window. However, there are no positive aspects to this method at all. Firstly, you will have to look for a new “window” and spend money on it. Secondly, glass fragments will fly into the car interior and can damage not only the upholstery, but also the on-board system. In this case, you will have to spend money on dry cleaning.
Healthy! If we are talking about a VAZ, then domestic cars have fairly weak window regulators, so you can try just pressing on the glass from above and lowering it a little.
Thirdly, this does not in any way solve the problem of a “smart” alarm system, which has already blocked the engine and will agree to unlock it only if the vehicle owner enters a long code combination on the key fob (usually everyone forgets it). As a result, it is much easier to immediately seek qualified help or use more reliable tips for opening car doors when the battery is dead.
Professionals
Of course, if this happens to you, and you just can’t open it. You can call specially trained people. Now there are a huge number of services that will come to your aid. They also have equipment, and in such cases they, as they say, “ate the dog.”
However, it is not cheap, from 500 to 2500 rubles. It depends on how complex the work is, and the class of the car. Therefore, this is not our option, but it’s worth talking about. If you don’t want to suffer, just call and call
We serve food
It takes very little energy for the system to operate and open the doors. Therefore, the most logical thing to do is try to charge the battery. However, you still need to get to it, and this is not the easiest solution. Some people pick at the radiator grille with a screwdriver and pick up the hood latch. However, most cars are equipped with a hinge that can only open if the car owner pulls a special handle inside the car.
Of course, you can find fittings or a lever and open the hood, but such a barbaric method can be classified in the same group as knocking out windows or drilling out locks. Therefore, it is worth trying to use the air cushion again. It needs to be pushed under the hood on the side where the battery is located. Applying air pressure, lift the hood slightly and reach the battery terminals with alligator clips. We connect the plus to the “+”, and the minus can be connected to any metal part of the car. Afterwards, all that remains is to connect the crocodiles to a spare charged battery.
However, it is not always possible to widen the gap between the hood and the body to such an extent that it is possible to manipulate the crocodiles. In addition, everything you need may simply not be at hand. In this case, we move on to the most reliable and proven method of opening a car.
We activate the starter or license plate illumination
In the first case, you will have to sweat. First of all, you need to arm yourself with a lighting kit, a charged battery, a jack and stands (the first two points can be replaced with two wires and a battery from a screwdriver or any other power source with a 12V output).
After that:
- We climb under the car and find the starter. There should be two wires coming from it (red – “+” and black – “-” or ground).
- From the “donor” battery we connect the “+” to the red wire, and the minus to ground.
- He presses the key fob and the car opens.
The complexity of this method lies in the fact that crawling under a car (especially in winter or on the way to work) is not the most pleasant experience. In this case, you can take an easier, but no less effective, path.
To do this, go to the back of the car and use a regular screwdriver to unscrew the license plate light (this is usually done in a few minutes). After this, we connect two wires from the “donor” (for example, a battery from a screwdriver). The plus (red wire) goes to “+”, and the minus to “-”. The resulting current will be enough to open the car using the standard key.
This is one of the most proven and effective methods. However, it is best to try and completely eliminate the possibility of such a problem.
Ways to “reanimate” a dead battery
Even an expensive and high-quality battery after some time begins to lose charge on its own. The problem is mainly caused by the following factors:
- The battery has been in service for more than 4-5 years, and over time the available charge decreases;
- For some reason, the battery is not recharged during the trip;
- There are places in the car network with current leakage;
- When the engine was turned off, the headlights or audio system were left on;
- Critical exposure to extreme temperatures.
It is possible to start a car with a dead battery, so let’s look at several ways to solve the problem.
Using acceleration from an external force
To start a car, you just need to set it in motion. This can be done by:
- Acceleration up to 5 km/h when pushing;
- Ask another driver on the road to tow your car.
From the pusher
In this case, the car accelerates using human power. This method is best used on a road with a slight slope to make the task easier. You should push only by the rear pillars or the trunk of the vehicle, otherwise there is a high probability of serious injury. Only a car with a manual transmission can “start” in this way.
Starting a car “from a pushrod” is quite popular in our country, but this method is only suitable for cars with a manual transmission.
After the car has reached a speed of 5-10 kilometers per hour, you need to engage the gear and smoothly release the clutch.
By tug
Towing requires a special cable at least 5 meters long, as well as another vehicle on the move, which will act as a tug.
The vehicles are connected to each other by a cable, after which the tug accelerates your car to 10-15 km/h. When the specified speed is reached, 3rd gear is engaged and the clutch is smoothly released. If the car starts, you can disconnect the towing cable.
A tow rope should be in the trunk of every car in case of emergency.
When starting a battery with the help of a tug, it is extremely important to coordinate the actions of both drivers and discuss the signs that will be given to each other while driving. Unauthorized towing can result in serious damage to vehicles and an emergency situation on the road.
“Lighting up” from a donor car
To “light” a car, you need another donor car that has a fully functional battery. The 12-volt unit is lit exclusively from a 12-volt donor. If your battery has a 24-volt voltage, you can use two 12-volt donor batteries, which will be connected in series.
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The method involves the following steps:
- Cars are placed next to each other, but not touching.
- The engine of the donor car is turned off, and the wire from the negative terminal of the second car is removed. When carrying out work, polarity is observed; if this rule is violated, there is a high probability of failure of all electronics in both cars.
- The positive terminals of the batteries are connected to each other, then the negative terminal is connected to the donor and only after that to the car that needs resuscitation.
- The donor car is started for 4-5 minutes and left on.
- Next, the second car starts, it should run for 5-7 minutes.
- The terminals are disconnected, but the car is left to run for another 15-20 minutes so that the battery has time to recharge.
Video: how to light a car correctly
Using a starter-charger
This method is the simplest and safest. A special device is connected to the network, the mode switch is set to the “start” position. The negative wire of the starter-charger is connected to the engine block in the area of the starter, the positive wire is connected to the positive terminal.
Depending on the model, the electrical circuit of the ROM may differ, but the principle of operation is always the same: the device is connected to the network and supplies current to the battery terminals
The ignition key is turned in the car; if the car starts, the starting charger can be turned off.
Rope on the wheel
This method is useful if there is no towing vehicle nearby and there is no one to push your vehicle. In order to start a car using this method, you need a rope (about 5-6 meters long) and a jack. Using a jack, you need to make sure that the drive wheel is raised above the ground. The rope is wound tightly around the wheel, after which the ignition and gear are turned on. In order for the car to start, you need to firmly pull the end of the rope.
Video: how to start a car with a rope
A bottle of wine
The most extraordinary way that really works. It will help you start your car in remote conditions, when you only have wine on hand.
You need to open the wine and pour a glass of drink directly into the battery. As a result, the alcoholic drink will provoke an oxidation reaction, and the battery will begin to produce a current that is enough to start the car.
The wine method is only suitable for extreme cases; after such a start, the battery will have to be replaced with a new one.
Unfortunately, starting the battery using wine is only possible once
Good to know
To avoid such a problem in the future, it is recommended to configure access via the immobilizer. To do this, it is enough to connect a separate autonomous power supply system to the blocker. For example, you can use a lithium-ion battery. In this case, regardless of the power supply from the general electrical network, the immobilizer will still work. All that remains is to bring its blocking to the first place and synchronize the blocker with the supplied key. In this case, even if the battery is completely discharged, you will still have access to the car.
It is also worth remembering a few rules that will help you avoid such problems:
- It is important to always monitor the battery charge level and condition. You shouldn’t wait every time until the corresponding symbol starts to light up on the car’s display, indicating that the battery is discharged.
- It is necessary to promptly replace the old battery with a new one. If you decide to “reanimate” the old battery, you don’t need to get carried away with such procedures. In addition, it is important to remember that after the battery is restored, its life is significantly reduced.
- After stopping the engine, you should always check that the radio and headlights are turned off. If they work for several days, this will inevitably lead to battery discharge.
Extreme measures
Such methods are resorted to only in desperate situations. When you have tried everything possible, if all actions did not give a positive result. The easiest way is to take a heavy hammer and break the glass. Any heavy object will also work. Some cars are equipped with a small window. To cause minimal damage, it is better to break it.
Sometimes they resort to a more barbaric method. They just drill out the door lock. The door will, of course, open, but the consequences will be too expensive. All the locks will have to be changed.
There is an original option when a special “blank” key is used. Its design makes it possible to crash into the door cylinder. By pressing on it, you can turn the key and the door will immediately open. Unfortunately, after such a mechanical impact, it is impossible to do without repairs. To never encounter such problems, always monitor the condition of your battery. Do not allow it to become completely discharged. Only then will you never have to open the car using the methods described above.
